Brimir
Encyclopedia
In Norse mythology
, Brimir is another name for the giant Ymir
and also the name of a hall for the souls of the virtuous following the endtime conflict of Ragnarok
.
In the Gylfaginning
section of the Prose Edda
Brimir refers to a hall in the heavens for good souls following Ragnarok where "plenty of good drink" will be available for those who take pleasure in it.
In stanza 9 of Völuspá
, the first poem of the Poetic Edda
, Brimir and Blain
are both mentioned as alternate names for Ymir:
Quoted by Snorri
in Gylfaginning, he expands upon this and tells us that the dwarves were created from the dead flesh of Ymir whose body was used by Odin
and his brothers to form the earth ("Brimir's blood" referring to the sea and "Blain's limbs" referring to the mountains that were made from his bones).
Stanza 37 of the same poem mentions Brimir as the name of a giant who may or may not be Ymir as the owner of a beer hall
:
Snorri used this stanza as his basis for Brimir as a hall in the afterlife in Gylfaginning but whether or not the two residences are identical is uncertain.
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
, Brimir is another name for the giant Ymir
Ymir
In Norse mythology, Ymir, also called Aurgelmir among the giants themselves, was the founder of the race of frost giants and was later killed by the Borrs.-Etymology:...
and also the name of a hall for the souls of the virtuous following the endtime conflict of Ragnarok
Ragnarök
In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water...
.
In the Gylfaginning
Gylfaginning
Gylfaginning, or the Tricking of Gylfi , is the first part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda after Prologue. The Gylfaginning deals with the creation and destruction of the world of the Norse gods, and many other aspects of Norse mythology...
section of the Prose Edda
Prose Edda
The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda or simply Edda, is an Icelandic collection of four sections interspersed with excerpts from earlier skaldic and Eddic poetry containing tales from Nordic mythology...
Brimir refers to a hall in the heavens for good souls following Ragnarok where "plenty of good drink" will be available for those who take pleasure in it.
In stanza 9 of Völuspá
Völuspá
Völuspá is the first and best known poem of the Poetic Edda. It tells the story of the creation of the world and its coming end related by a völva addressing Odin...
, the first poem of the Poetic Edda
Poetic Edda
The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. Along with Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the Poetic Edda is the most important extant source on Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends, and from the early 19th century...
, Brimir and Blain
Ymir
In Norse mythology, Ymir, also called Aurgelmir among the giants themselves, was the founder of the race of frost giants and was later killed by the Borrs.-Etymology:...
are both mentioned as alternate names for Ymir:
- "Then all the Powers went to the thrones of fate,
- the sacrosanct godsÆsirIn Old Norse, áss is the term denoting a member of the principal pantheon in Norse paganism. This pantheon includes Odin, Frigg, Thor, Baldr and Tyr. The second pantheon comprises the Vanir...
, and considered this: - who should form the lord of the dwarfs
- out of Brimir's blood and from Blain's limbs?"
- — Larrington trans.
Quoted by Snorri
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
in Gylfaginning, he expands upon this and tells us that the dwarves were created from the dead flesh of Ymir whose body was used by Odin
Odin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
and his brothers to form the earth ("Brimir's blood" referring to the sea and "Blain's limbs" referring to the mountains that were made from his bones).
Stanza 37 of the same poem mentions Brimir as the name of a giant who may or may not be Ymir as the owner of a beer hall
Beer hall
A beer hall is a large pub that specializes in beer. Bavaria's capital Munich is the city most associated with beer halls; almost every brewery in Munich operates a beer hall...
:
- "To the north there stood on Dark-of-moon Plains
- a hall of gold of the lineage of Sindri
- and another stood on Never-cooled PlainOkolnirIn Norse mythology, Okolnir is the name of a plain on which is located the hall of Brimir and mentioned only in stanza 37 of the poem Völuspá from the Poetic Edda. The location of this plain is not stated in the poem.-References:...
, - the beer-hall of the giant who is called Brimir."
- — Larrington trans.
Snorri used this stanza as his basis for Brimir as a hall in the afterlife in Gylfaginning but whether or not the two residences are identical is uncertain.